Ankle braces of many kinds exist in the prior art. In general these braces include some form of a body member designed to encircle, partially or completely, a portion of the foot and extending upwardly from the foot about the ankle. Straps, laces and the like have been used to secure the body member to the ankle. Prior ankle braces also include stiffener members, i.e. stays, of various forms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,874 discloses an ankle brace which embodies many of the features of prior art ankle braces in which the body member of the brace wraps a substantial portion of the foot and the ankle. The brace of this patent is secured by lacing and includes a plurality of stays that are held in pockets formed on the outer surface of the body member. This general type of ankle brace is undesirable for many reasons. It is bulky and difficult or impossible to wear with a shoe, its lacing is inconvenient to adjust, and the stays are ineffective.
German Patent No. DE 3909-922-A discloses an ankle brace comprising two rigid shells, one to be fitted to each side of the foot and ankle and held in place against the foot and ankle by elastic straps that encircle the shells in the ankle region. The shells of this brace effectively preclude the use of this brace with a shoe. Further, the shells have no material adjustability as to their fit to the foot and ankle. Still further, the rigid shells are uncomfortable and provide no protection in the area of the lateral and medial malleolus of the ankle. A one-piece elongated rigid plastic body member adapted to pass under the arch of the foot and extend upwardly along opposite sides of the ankle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,794. The plastic of the body member is softened by heating and molded to the shape of the ankle. Upon cooling, the plastic returns to its rigid condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,620 discloses an ankle brace comprising a compliant wraparound body member, opening at the front, and which is held in place using hook and loop fasteners. This brace includes a separate strap which is passed under the arch of the foot after the body member is in place and then extended upwardly along the sides of the ankle and anchored to the body member with hook and loop fasteners. This strap is intended to provide adjustable tension to opposite sides of the foot to maintain the foot in a neutral position.
None of the known prior art ankle braces provide for selective protection to the lateral and medial malleolus, but rather they offer body members which, in the region of the malleolus are either compliant, hence nonsupportive, or rigid and therefore nonadjustable as to fit to and over the malleolus. Further, the known prior art ankle braces do not provide for adjustment of the vertical height of the body member of the brace so as to permit selection of the vertical height of the situs of support for the ankle. Neither do they offer to the attending medical practitioner the ability to adjust the fit of the brace to accommodate either the lateral or medial malleolus to thereby provide the maximum support to the ankle without damage or agitation of the malleolus, and simultaneously provide for a single brace to be used on either a left or right foot.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an ankle brace which may be applied to an ankle at a selected vertical height.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle brace which is adjustable by the attending medical practitioner at the time of the application of the brace to an ankle to selectively fit the brace in comfortable and supportive relationship to the lateral and medial malleolus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle brace which may be applied to either a left or right ankle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle brace which will accommodate a shoe worn on the same foot to which the brace is applied.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle brace having an improved stay disposed generally vertically along one or both of the sides of the ankle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel system for imparting adjustable rigidity to an ankle brace along the opposite sides of the ankle.